October 6, 2017

BareMinerals BarePRO Performance Wear Liquid Foundation

BareMinerals has launched a new liquid mineral foundation recently and I had the opportunity to put it to the test! Formulated with papaya enzymes and bamboo stem extract, the BarePRO foundation is said to gently improve skin's texture over time and provide full coverage with a natural matte finish. Also, the long-wearing formula is heat, water and sweat-resistant!

03 Champagne is a bit lighter than NC10, but the undertones are very yellow.

05 Sateen is slightly darker than NC15. It has neutral, slightly cool undertones.

07 Warm Light is a tad lighter than NC15. It has yellow, slightly peach undertones.

08 Golden Ivory is a bit lighter than NC25. It has yellow undertones.

12 Warm Natural is slightly darker than NC25. It has yellow undertones.

13 Golden Nude is similar to NC25. It has yellow, slightly peach undertones.

Swatches on NC10

The formula is very liquidy and has no particular scent (it smells like foundation lol). But don't be fooled by the runny consistency, it's not sheer by any means! I would say that it provides medium coverage if I apply it with a Beautyblender, and nearly full coverage with the BareMinerals Luxe Performance Brush.

I tried it with a few different primers and I find that the formula looks best with a luminous or hydrating primer (such as the NARS Radiance Primer). My skin is oily but very dehydrated, and the BarePro foundation tends to accentuate dry patches if I use a mattifying primer.

By the way, BareMinerals has designed their Luxe Performance foundation brush specifically for use with the BarePRO foundation. The bristles are soft and densely packed, which allows for a quick and easy foundation application.

That being said, I prefer how this foundation looks on my skin when I apply it with a damp Beautyblender. I started using retinol a few weeks ago and my skin is still peeling, and the brush tends to accentuate the dry patches a bit more.

The BarePRO foundation has a satin matte finish, not flat matte like some mattifying foundations but definitely not luminous or dewy. Does that make sense?

My skin was shiny by the 4 hours mark, but not extremely oily. When I wear a mattifying foundation, I usually desperately need to powder my face after about 2 hours. So 4 hours is incredible for me! And this isn't even marketed as a mattifying foundation.

This foundation lasts 12 hours on me, after this time it looks a bit patchy on my nose.

BareMinerals BarePRO Liquid Foundation in 07 Warm Light

The formula is finicky though, so you may need to play with it to find what works best for you.

I can only use powders (blushes, highlighters, bronzers) over this foundation because every time I try to apply a cream product over it, it lift the foundation off.

Overall, I think this is an amazing foundation for oily skin! It's not the most natural-looking foundation out there (my skin is flaky these days though, so it doesn't help), but it controls oils remarkably well!